[jeff_marshall]

I sort-of disagree.

If you aren't judging whether they get a correct working solution (i.e. passes some unit tests after running it through the compiler/interpreter), and actively engaging them on their thought process while they attempt to find a solution, it can be a useful tool (esp. in early filtering with really trivial problems). Interpreting the results, and picking the coding problem, are not easy tasks.

That said, I've certainly found myself in the position described by the story, and all I can say is that I'm glad I've never actually needed to find a job in my career (new opportunities have always come from people who already know me and my track record). You may (though I wouldn't bet on it) get fewer bad "hire" decisions by doing a code interview like the one in the article, but you also get bad "no-hire" decisions. I'd love to see some empirical data on the subject from someone who knows how to design an experiment.